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I know this is two months late, but better late than never right? I love this adorable picture I took of my dog for our annual Christmas picture and it was the first time I used a lighting setup. I'm so happy I was able to take this picture in less than 10 minutes and the results are amazing!

I was in a huge rush to get a picture of Annie because we were about to order our Christmas cards and there were no decent/professional looking photos of her to put on our card. By this time, it was growing dark outside so the lighting both in and outdoors was very poor. I wanted to have the Christmas tree in the background for more spirit (and bokeh!), but unfortunately, the room was extremely dark. While photographing dogs, it's imperative to have good lighting because dogs move a lot, but here is how I solve these issues:

Get an assistant! It's very hard to take photos of a dog without somebody there beside you to keep them from wandering off.

Gather a flashlight (I used my iPhone) and treats, turn on all lights in the area.

Have your assistant the treats up slightly above the camera and shine the flashlight down on the dog. The light from the flashlight will allow for a faster shutter speed and a more crisp picture. I drew my configuration is below.